Touted as San Francisco’s most historic building, the Officers’ Club—once a social hub for U.S. Army officers and their families—has roots that go back to the earliest days of Spanish settlement, in the late 18th century.

The Presidio Trust’s October 4–5 reopening celebration culminates a three-year revitalization... more >>

Last summer, we were a part of LINC (Linking Individuals to their Natural Communities), an internship with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy that strengthened our personal connections with the natural surroundings. We went around to different parts of the Golden Gate National Parks, such as Alcatraz, Mori Point,... more >>

The Golden Gate Raptor Observatory (GGRO) is 30 years old this fall (you might even say it’s peeking into middle age). The year 1984 was indeed a long time ago; Ronald Reagan had just been re-elected. George W. Bush was between political campaigns and fully focused on starting small oil... more >>

Retiring as director of our Native Plant Nurseries gives me an excuse to think about how far the nurseries have come. When I arrived in the Golden Gate National Parks in 1997, there were already habitat restoration efforts in place—but park plant ecologists were realizing that the need for planting... more >>

Whether or not we realize it, we all depend on a healthy ocean. Despite this fact, humans produce one of the greatest threats to our ocean’s health—pollution. What kind of pollution? The California Coastal Commission uses the term “marine debris,” and defines it as any manufactured or processed solid waste... more >>

For more than two centuries the Presidio was a military post—the famed defender of the Golden Gate. Today, this 1,500-acre site at the center of the San Francisco Bay Area is a new kind of national park, enjoyed by millions of visitors each year.

Music and song—like the Golden Gate National Parks—are wrapped around so many of our best memories. We asked park staff to share their favorite songs that evoke the landscape, the spirit, their adventures, and their work across the parklands.

There’s no doubt about it—giving your volunteer time helps the Golden Gate National Parks in tangible and quantifiable ways. In fact, in 2013, over 35,500 volunteers across the parklands contributed more than half a million hours of work—valued at $11 million!

And while volunteering is a wonderful selfless act that greatly... more >>

Opening September 27, @Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz will feature a series of seven site-specific installations by Ai Weiwei—a Chinese contemporary artist known for his socially, politically, and culturally incisive work—in four locations on Alcatraz Island, offering a new cultural lens through which to experience the former penitentiary-turned-national park.